Welcome to this practice of yoga nidra.
Please settle into a comfortable position,
Lying on your back,
Or remain seated in the most supportive way possible.
Allow your eyes to gently close,
Taking time to settle into a position that feels just right.
Arrange yourself so you may drop into a deep sense of comfort,
Trust,
And letting go,
Settling in fully.
As you soften into the earth beneath you,
Let your whole body drop into the embrace of the earth.
Know that you are welcome here,
In this space,
On this land,
Fully welcome.
And whatever arises within,
Be it sensation,
Feelings,
Emotions,
Thoughts,
Desires,
Images,
Or if any distractions arise from the outside,
Allow it to all be here with a sense of welcoming,
An invitation to move more deeply within,
Knowing that all along you are held here in a safe space and within the state of awareness that is yoga nidra.
Give yourself full permission to simply move through this practice in any way that feels good for you.
There are no pressures,
No demands for you to be any other way than who you truly are.
This practice is to support your body's deepest healing wisdom.
Let's take a full breath together,
And releasing it out,
Letting it go fully,
And again inhaling,
And releasing it out.
Feeling yourself beginning to enter a deep level of stillness.
As we enter this yoga nidra,
Simply allow your body to respond non-mentally and directly to my words without any interference from the mind.
Now shifting from thinking and doing to feeling and being,
Within the safety and protection of the space that is yoga nidra,
We now invite your attention towards an intention,
A sankalpa for this practice.
This is a way of being born from your heart.
This is a wish for yourself that aligns with your deepest heart's yearning or desire.
Just stating this to yourself and allowing it to invoke a feeling,
Image,
Or felt sense that deeply resonates.
We will now explore the body by rotating awareness throughout it.
As I name a part of your body,
Allow your attention to follow the sound of my voice as I guide you from point to point.
Remain in non-doing,
Silent awareness.
Let your attention follow my words and bring each part alive with your felt sense.
Wrists.
Hands.
Chest.
Upper back.
Middle back.
Low back.
Spine.
Torso.
Pelvis.
Legs.
Ankles.
Feet.
Whole body.
Whole body.
Now become aware of the body breathing.
The flow of breath as sensation in the nostrils.
The belly gently rising as the breath flows in and releasing as the breath flows out.
No need to change anything.
The body breathing naturally and rhythmically.
In-breath,
Belly rising.
Out-breath,
Belly releasing.
The body breathing itself.
Now bring your attention to the feelings that may be present throughout the body such as warmth or coolness,
Heaviness or lightness.
Allowing them to blossom fully into your body.
And if no feelings are present,
As may happen,
Welcome whatever is present.
And if it is helpful,
Locate the opposite of this feeling.
If you are feeling warmth,
Find coolness.
If heaviness,
Find lightness.
Welcoming the opposite feeling into the body.
Now welcome both opposites of feeling into the body at the same time without thinking nor analyzing.
Simply experiencing how doing this affects your body and mind.
Be aware of all that's now present in your awareness.
Feeling yourself as the one who is aware of everything that's now present.
Noticing the one who is noticing.
Sensing what is present.
Then experiencing yourself dissolving into being the field of awareness in which everything is arising,
Unfolding and dissolving.
Slowly sense yourself rising to the surface of waking awareness.
Become aware of your body resting on the ground beneath you.
Sense the rise and fall of your breath.
Feel the gentle air on your skin.
Notice the quality of your thoughts.
Observe how soft and quiet they are.
Bring a deep sense of peace and care.
As you transition into your eyes open state of awareness.
Then gently turn onto your side and curl into a fetal position.
Feeling calm and comfort as you ease back into your eyes open state of consciousness.
Sensing your body grounded and connected with the surface and the earth beneath you.
Easing back into your day.
Taking this experience of peace and calm with you.
The practice is now complete.
Shanti.
Shanti.
Shanti.
